For optical apparatuses, including video cameras and electronic still cameras, high image quality and smaller sizes are always demanded. Therefore both higher image quality and smaller sizes are also demanded for zoom lenses used for image capturing lenses. As one of the zoom lenses to meet such demands, a zoom lens comprised of three lens groups, that is, in order from an object, a negative lens group, a positive lens group and a positive lens group, has been disclosed (e.g. see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-282466(A)).
Recently ultra-high image quality is expected for cameras, and the use of larger picture elements with higher resolution is being attempted. Zoom lenses as well are expected to have higher optical performance than ever before so as to support such picture elements.